First there was BILAC. Now there’s VILAC.
For more than 35 years, BILAC (Big Island Liturgy and Arts Conference) has provided communitarian-based experiences of prayer, the liturgical arts and spiritual growth for hundreds of participants.
Starting in April, VILAC (Valley Isle Liturgy and Arts Conference) hopes to do the same annually on Maui.
Marty Haugen
BILAC was born in Hilo at Malia Puka O Kalani Church as a small workshop designed to help parishes get ready for Advent. Over the years it grew and attracted some of the biggest names among composers of hymns and many noted keynote speakers.
Five years ago BILAC transplanted itself on the Kalaepohaku campus of Chaminade University, St. Louis School and the Marianist Center of Hawaii. This year’s Marianist BILAC on Oahu is scheduled for Sept. 26-28.
Maui’s “franchised” version will debut at St. Anthony Parish in Wailuku, April 12-13. Noted composers Marty Haugen, Joe Camacho, Bobby Fisher and Lori True will headline the conference. Other workshops will cover theology, Scripture, spirituality and personal enrichment.
The enculturation of Hawaiian tradition and values in a Catholic and Christian context will be a major theme of VILAC and hula, oli and Hawaiian hymns will be featured elements of the two-day conference.
Among the cultural presenters will be Sissy Lake-Farm, the daughter of the late kumu hula John Lake, and Kapono Ai Molotau, his hanai son and the owner of the Native Intelligence store in Wailuku.
Marianist Brother and coordinating team member Dennis Schmitz hopes both conferences will result in larger audiences for both islands.
“On the one hand, by expanding to Maui we want to reach a larger audience of people who haven’t been able to attend the Oahu conference,” he said. “At the same time, however, we’re hoping that the taste of the smaller Maui conference will motivate more people to come to Oahu for the longer and bigger ‘parent’ conference in September.”
For more information about Marianist VILAC, contact St. Anthony Parish at 244-4148. Information will soon be available on the parish webpage www.stanthonymaui.org.
For more information about either conference, contact Brother Schmitz at baldschmitz@aol.com or 735-4801 (office) or 232-6691 (cell).